Oil cleaner for internal-combustion engines



March 6,1928. 1,661,825

R. O. HENDRICKSON OIL CLEANER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed June l, 1925 I I 56 26 1 I 123 Patented Mar. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES ROBERT O. HENDRICKSON, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN.

OIL CLEANER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed June 1,

My invention relates particularly to oil cleaners for internal combustion engines such as are used on automobiles, trucks, and the like.

It has heretofore been proposed to take the oil from the crank case of such engines, clean it of the accumulated carbon, dirt, etc. and return it to the case. The equipment proposed or used for the purpose has been more or lesselaborate, requiring space which is not readily available in the compact structure of machines of this character. It'is the object of this invention. to provide an eflicient centrifugal separator of simple and efficient construction which will consume little or no space in addition to that occupied by the normal engine construction and which will add relatively little to the cost of the latter. With this in view I incorporate a centrifugal cleaner with the flywheel construction, somewhat modifying the latter, so that when the engine is in operation oil may be fed continuously to the separator and dis charged in cleaned condition therefrom ready to be returned to the crank case.

In the drawing accompanying and form ing a part of the specification Fig. 1 is a verticalsection through a flywheel in which my invention is incorporated and through the casing thereof, parts being shown in elevation; and Fig. 2 is atransverse vertical section of a plane of line 22 of Fig. 1.

In these drawings, I have shown the housing 3 for the flywheel as of ordinary construction, except as hereinafter indicated, affording a bearing 4 for the crank shaft 5 which also may be of usual construction. The flywheel 6 is bolted in an ordinary manner to flange 7 on the crank shaft at 8, and is extended at 9 to form an annular set of segmental chambers or channels 10-10, separated by transverse webs and opening away from the axis of the casting and closed by covers 11 bolted to the casting at 12, 13. The centrifugal chambers 10, here shown as two in number, are supplied with the oil to be treated through radial inlet passages 14, said inlet passages being preferably spaced substantially equally distant from each other. Valve chambers are formed in the passages by enlarging the same as at 15 and partially closing the enlarged portion of the passage by means of perforated plugs 17. In each passage is arranged a ball valve 16 which seats toward the axis of the casing and a spring 15 is interposed between the ball and 1926. Serial No. 112,776.

the plug 17, said spring being of sufficient strength to hold the ball to its seat when the casting is at rest, but to yield to the weight of the ball under centrifugal action when the flywheelcasting is revolved at anything like normal speed. The supply passages 14 open from a channel 19'formed in the casting, which channel is supplied with oil from the crank case by any suitable connection. I have shown the end of this connection at 20. The connection may include a pump or oil forcing device of known character.

Overflow or discharge'passages 22 likewise extend radially through the casting and are provided with ball valves 25, springs 26 and plugs 24, and said springs are also of such strength as to hold the ball valves to their seat when the casting is at rest, but to yield under the centrifugal force to which the valves are subjected when the casting is 1'0- tated. It is to be noted that the outlet ends of these passages are at a greater distance from the axis of the casting than are the inlet ends of the inlet passages and consequently when the oil accumulates to a sufficient depth in the centrifugal chambers and connecting passages it will overflow through the outlet passages into the housing 3 and will collect in the bottom thereof from which it may bereturned to the crank casing in any desired manner.

WVhen the engine is at rest the valves in the inlet and outlet passages are seated, preventing the escape of oil from the centrifugal chambers and the entrance of foreign matter thereinto. When, however, the casting is revolved by the engine, the valves are unseated by centrifugal force and oil fed from the crank casing freely enters the chambers,

thoroughly centrifuged, the heavier matters contained therein including carbon being thrown against the outer wall of the chambers formed by the cover annulus 1.1, and as the oil accumulates in the chambers in sufficient quantity it freely overflows into the flywheel housing, as stated above.

It will be understood that the transverse webs 30 are provided in order that the oil in the centrifugal chambers may be rapidly brought up to the speed of rotation of the centrifugal chamber, but that a single web only may be employed, or more than two, if desired. It will also be understood that the webs may extend but partway from the ring 12 radially toward the inner wall of s ace enclosed thereby, thus forming bafile p ates on the outer wall of an annular chamber.

I claim:

1. In an engine of the class described, a flywheel casting having a circumferentially arranged centrifugal chamber formed therein, a feed channel formed in said casting, inwardly of the centrifugal chamber, inlet passages connecting said channel and chamber, valves in said passages closing towards the axis of the casting, springs pressing said valves toward their seats, and overflow passages for the escape of oil from said chamber.

2. In an engine of the class described and in combination with the crank shaft thereof, a flywheel casting having a circumferentially arranged centrifugal chamber formed therein, a feed channel in the casting inwardly of said chamber, inlet openings conmeeting said feed channel and chamber, spring-pressed valves closing toward the axis of the casting in said inlet openings and opening under centrifugal force when the wheel is rotated, overflow passages extending from said chamber toward the axis of the casting, spring-pressed valves in said passages closing toward the axis of the casting.

3. In an engine of the class described and in combination with the crank shaft thereof, a flywheel casting secured to the shaft and having formed therein a circumferentiaIly arranged centrifugal chamber, cover closing said chambers, a feed channel in the casting inwardly oi the centrifugal chamber, inlet passages leading from said channel to the chamber, spring-pressed valves in said pas sages seating toward the "feed channel and opening under centrifugal force when the wheel is rotated, overflow discharge passages extending from said chamber toward the axis of the casting, and spring-pressed valves in said discharge passages seating toward the axis of the casting.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

ROBERT O. HENDRICKSON. 

